Hours of Operation

History

Back in 1972 a group of concerned citizens decided to build a Layton museum. They formed a museum
non-profit 501c3 corporation, raised money for a museum building, selected an ideal museum location,
gathered artifacts, built a museum building with private donations; and then once the museum building
was completed and paid for donated the building and the artifact collection to Layton City as a
permanent home for the cultural heritage items of Layton’s history. The museum was opened to the
general public in August of 1980, and for over thirty years the museum has been visited by thousands
and thousands of old and new citizens. Over time, the museum’s heritage collection has grown to include
2,470 artifact objects; 3,770 historical photographs; and 2,900 archival documents and 299 books.

The City of Layton began in 1850 as an agricultural extension to the settlement that later was incorporated
as Kaysville, Utah. The original boundaries of what was called Kays Ward extended from Haight’s Creek on the
south to the Weber County line and the Weber River in the north, and from the Wasatch Mountains on the east to
the shores of the Great Salt Lake on the west. Although the settlers of Kays Ward eventually laid out streets
and established a typical town plan and city center in 1854, the area that is now Layton remained rural, unorganized
and unplanned during this early period.

The first three white settlers of what is now the City of Layton were Edward Phillips, John Hyrum Green, and
William Kay. These Mormon pioneers first established farms in April of 1850 along the banks of a stream that later
became know as Kays Creek. Edward Phillips and John Green arrived a day earlier than William Kay, but when an LDS
Church ward was established in January of 1851, William Kays was called to be the LDS bishop. Consequently, the
fledgling settlement was called Kays Ward after Bishop Kay. However, in 1856 William Kay left the area to colonize
in Nevada Territory so the name of the settlement was changed to Freedom. The settlement was known as Freedom from
about 1858 until 1863 when the name Kaysville came into widespread use.

Within a year of the first settlers planting crops and building cabins, there were almost 300 people living along
the banks of three local streams—Kays Creek, Holmes Creek, and Haight’s Creek. The majority of these families were
from England or were New Englanders of English descent. Among them were several families that were related or were
from the same or nearby English towns and cities. Later LDS immigrants from England tended to settle in Kays Ward
too, making the settlement an ethnically as well as religiously cohesive community. Most of the early immigrants
were of the working class, but only a handful were farm laborers in their native land. Consequently, the skills of
farming in a semi-arid desert environment were learned from firsthand experience.

Following the building of a wagon road between Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah, several mercantile and trade establishments
were founded along what is now known as Layton’s Main Street. Also, in the late 1860’s the Utah Central Railway was
built with tracks running parallel to Main Street so several businessmen opened workshops (blacksmiths, shoemakers,
tanners, harness makers, weavers) or became tradesmen (carpenters, rock masons, sawyers). Other settlers built flourmills,
made adobe bricks, or were innkeepers. With time, the small business district came to be called Kays Creek—as a suburb of
Kaysville three miles to the south.

Kays Creek and Holmes Creek were the main streams capable of supplying enough water for irrigation. Roads running east and
west soon skirted the sides of these creeks. Holmes Creek, according to several histories, was called “Fiddler’s Creek” for
a time because three early pioneers who lived along the stream played the fiddle for early community dances and parties.
Also, several families settled north and east of Kays Creek. This area became known as “Little Scotland” because these
settlers were of Scottish ancestry while most of the other Kays Creek settlers were English or American.

Because Layton was an outgrowth of Kaysville, the settlers did not build their homes around a city block plan or a central
fort. When fort districts were established in 1854 and 1855, for protection, the people living along Kays Creek contributed
money and labor to the building of the Kays Ward fort. However, these settlers never lived in the Kays Ward fort area but
built their own stockade that was called “Little Fort.” This structure was built on the east side of Kays Creek, south of
what is now known as Fort Lane Street.

The earliest mercantile businesses in Layton for which there are records were the Burton, Herrick and White Company, Barton
and Company, Adams and Son's Company, the Kaysville Farmer’s Union (later to become the Farmer’s Union of Layton), the William
A. Hyde store, the A. H. Ellis Mercantile store, and the Layton Golden Rule. With time, these establishments became the
nucleus of Layton’s commercial endeavors and their activities eventually led to a movement to make Kays Creek a separate and
distinct town.

In 1886, with the establishment of a Post Office, the area that was previously known as Kays Creek became Layton. The name
Layton was given to the community in honor of Christopher Layton an early LDS bishop and property owner along Kays Creek.

In 1907, the people living in Layton officially separated from Kaysville and a new town was born.

The following is a chronology of important events in the town’s history:

1869-70

Utah Central Railroad connects Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah

1881

Davis and Weber Counties Canal Company organized—bringing water to hundreds of farms

1882

Denver and Rio Grande Railroad extends through the Layton/Kaysville area

Layton Pioneer Museum dedicated, name later changed to Heritage Museum of Layton, museum opens its doors in 1980

1980

Layton Hills Mall opens

1988

Layton Branch of the Davis County Public Library opens

1989

Layton City builds new city municipal building and complex

1992

Northridge High School opens

1995

New St. Rose of Lima church dedicated, Ed Kenley Amphitheater opens

A comprehensive history of Layton entitled: Layton, Utah, published by Kaysville/Layton Historical society is
available to the Heritage Museum. The cost is $25.

When was the museum opened?

The Heritage Museum was conceived as a Bicentennial project and the doors of the museum opened in 1980. Currently, the museum has 7,200 square feet of display space.

What type of museum is the Heritage Museum?

The Heritage Museum is a historical museum. Exhibits and permanent displays tell the story of the early social, economic, and cultural development of Northern Davis County.

How did the Layton street get the name Gentile?

Several early Layton settlers were not members of the LDS Church. Consequently, these settlers were referred to as Gentiles. Since the Gentiles tended to live near each other the street where they built homes and a Protestant church became known as Gentile Street.

I have some old things in my garage. Can I donate them to the museum?

The museum takes donations if they apply to the mission of the museum. Anyone interested in making a donation can contact the museum curator by calling (801) 336-3930.